Top 10 Bioeconomy Markets and Predictions for 2019

1. The Big Heavy (heavy transport)— Jet, heavy truck, marine

As we observed in Top 10 Market #4, above, in looking at the wood basket:

“By The Digest’s estimates, there’s been close to two billion dollars in investments in renewable diesel in recent months. And the capacity just keeps growing. Between World Energy, Zymergen, Phillips 66 and REG, Diamond Green Diesel, Fulcrum, Red Rock, Raj Renewables, Dynamic Fuels, and more.”

The trend? The new catch-all is Heavy Transport. Though there are huge opportunities in light-duty (such as high-octane engine technology), there are even bigger horizons and fewer alternatives in heavy transport. Ships, tractor trailers, jets, big farm equipment, and the like. If it moves far, liquids have a role to play because of their spectacular energy density. You can travel as much as 40 miles farther on a ton of liquid fuel than a ton of electric battery, it has been calculated.

So, saddle up pilgrims for the Big Heavy. Those who have signed the Paris Agreement will quickly add up all the carbon savings available — and the switching costs — in light duty and stationery energy systems (switching from coal to methane, for example), and sooner or later are going to have to come up with a viable, robust heavy transport switching program. There, technologies like renewable diesel and kerosene are the star technologies, and their time has come.